Louvre director acknowledges failure after jewel heist and says she offered to resign

PARIS (AP) — The director of the Louvre Museum on Wednesday acknowledged a ″terrible failure″ at the Paris monument after a stunning daylight crown jewel heist, and said she offered to resign but it was refused.

In testimony to the French Senate on Wednesday, Louvre director Laurence des Cars said the museum had a damaging shortage of security cameras outside the monument and other ″weaknesses″ exposed by Sunday’s theft.

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Under heavy pressure over a theft that stained France’s global image, she testified to a Senate committee that she submitted her resignation but that the culture minister refused to accept it.

″Today we are experiencing a terrible failure at the Louvre, which I take my share of responsibility in,″ she said.